Prophex

The Question is simple, did you or did you not crash your airplane on the first attempt ? Or on one of the next flights ?


If you did, the what happened, was it your fault or a mechanical one, what exactly happened, what was left of the plane ... ?




This could give me a general idea of how hard it is to fly a plane as a beginner

boss_blueangels

Well, on my very first RC flight I did OK... but a few weeks later I tried to do two loops in a row with my Sig Kadet Sr. and crashed it... about 45 degree impact. Pretty much sheered off the fuselage behind the wing. lol

But on the next plane I crashed it on the first flight, but was due to improperly fastening a clevis on the elevator. It was a stock clevis... one of the cheap plastic ones with the little metal pin... well, the pin fell out so it worked when I pulled it vertical... but rattled loose on the climb. lol

Another plane was technically my crash because I was instructing my brother on a buddy cord... he was doing really great, then I told him to do an aileron roll (which he had done before without any problems) and then about half way through he asked if I had the controls... lol long story short, about 10 feet (.2 seconds from impact) he yells... "YOUR PLANE!" lol Oh well.

That was the last plane I crashed (knock on wood) about 3 years ago.



If you start with an instructor you'll do fine... but just be warned, you WILL crash some day, unfortunately. Not to be negative, but it's important to realize it'll have to happen some time. It's how we learn. And for a lot of us... it's part of the driving force to stay in the hobby... something else to build/repair and test fly. I suppose it's the "test pilot" in all of us. lol

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Of course I crashed on my 1st flight...Instructor? who needs an instructor?...I got some help and learned to fly that was all 10+ years ago, but I soon gave up on it..now am back and relearned with parkflyers at the school yard...I fly 1/2a and dont worry much about crashing a plane I have $20-$30 in that only weighs 12 oz......thats part of the key for me ,the few Nice planes I have are hanging from the ceiling, they will fly someday, maybe this year.....Rog

hattend

My Feedback: (20)

I tried to teach myself with a glider when I first started but it was a total failure. I had the elevator hooked up backwards (push for up) and then tried to tow it up like my free flight gliders (my friend ran with the towline...I launched and tried to fly it). Scratch my first plane.

I then did as my local hobby shop guy said and joined a club and get an instructor. I had an excellent instructor so I didn't have my first serious crash, after soloing, until my third plane. Here's a hint - Don't pull up when doing an inverted limbo...it sucks.

Don

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

[quote]ORIGINAL: Prophex

The Question is simple, did you or did you not crash your airplane on the first attempt ?


'
Totally pointless poll considering you only provided only a no option for your 'simple' question. Sounds as if you are only polling for the answers you want to hear.

Fastsky

Ii guess there needs to be a "Yes I did"' as one of the answers.... To answer though, I never crashed until I passed my solo test and started flying on my own. One day started out great trying to fly my H9 Cherokee ARF on my own. Got the plane up ok and started to make a few turns around the field. Then a fast moving fog came out of nowhere and ate my plane! [X(]

carrellh

No. Did not crash. I have an instructor. If I had no instructor I wouldn't have even bothered buying a plane.

RC-Captain

Is he going to stick around for the next 15 planes you may or may not by ? If not are you finished with flying RC planes. []

bass3587

My Feedback: (1)

Does running into the side of the high school gym count as a crash?It was spectacular, after I got over the initial ouch I couldn't help but laugh about it. This is my first attempt of flying an RC airplane so I went to the local hobby shop here in Arlington Texas and bought a Aerobird Challenger. Put it together and said to myself I'm going to take this bird up and see what happens. Well I hand launched it and it climb great, made a few turns and I said to myself !QUOT!I GOT IT!!QUOT!, well that was until a little wind grabbed it and I forgot that when it's coming back toward you left is right and right is left. It's amazing how buildings just jump in front of you when your flying. It probably would have helped if I had someone with me with some experience flying. But it was fun. I've already bought another wing for it and will take it out again with a buddy that has some flying experience. Wish me luck. I wonder if I have enough in the bank to buy another Aerobird. I don't think this one will last too long.

lbrande

My Feedback: (16)

I tend to bounce my landings so I generally loose props. I had 2 spectacular crashes. The first only minor damage. The second I sheared the tail off the fuse. I repaired the tail section and re-balanced, and am still flying the plane.

The plane is a .40 Avistar. My second plane is a Global T-34, the third is a 4*40. My instructor did not permit me to fly the T-34 until he verifies the throws and balance.

Lew B

ho2zoo

My Feedback: (5)

Yup, sure did. And the second, and the third too. 1979, Cox 2-channel foam plane, little too shy to bother the experts. Eventually, after a lot of epoxy I got so I could keep it in the air until it ran out of fuel. But I wasn't really 'flying' it- just chasing it around in the sky.

Later, I joined a club and had an instructor really teach me how to control a 4-channel, .40 size trainer. Yes, it is really worth the trouble to get help![8D]

saramos

My first crash was a little over a month after my first flight. I flew two days on a buddy box, then went solo. At my instructors urging, I entered a trainer class pylon race. I came in second in the first of the four rounds. I came in first, and took over the all around points lead in the second round. On the third round I got a bit of a slow start. Coming out of the first pylon turn, another aircraft was starting to pass me on the outside and we were very close to each other. I tried to maintain the lead and gain a little separation by dropping a bit lower. I was already low to the ground and my plane dropped a bit quicker than I expected, and quicker than my abilities and . . .
I rebuilt my trainer and flew it one more time before moving on to my Sig 4* 40.
My second crash was a couple of months ago, when my 4* decided to make an abrupt nose down maneuver from level flight at a hight of about 60 feet at 3/4 throttle. It went in vertical before I had a chance to react. I still don't know the cause of the dive.

Scott

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I had help. Even after I had learned to fly my little two channel Minni-Fledgling, I would scream bloody murder when it ran out of gas, (it flew about 16 minutes) . Someone would run over and land it for me. That went on for monthes. eventually the belly rotted out. It hung up in my parrent house for ten years or so until they moved. It was a fast little plane and I was rolling and looping and having a good time. Noone placed any pressure on me to land until I felt like it. I know those guys were getting tired of landing my plane for me, but they were real sports about it.

Prophex

But, scroll down in te beginners page, they closed [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Did_you_crash_on_your_first_flight%28s%29_%3F%21/m_2489952/tm.htm]the wrong thread[/link]... I was making the poll and accidentally pressed [ENTER] to soon and after making the final adjustments, I posted it again.

this is the wrong thread. [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Did_you_crash_on_your_first_flight%28s%29_%3F%21/m_2489952/tm.htm]the other one[/link] had much more choice.


So, @Moderators: please lock this thread and unlock [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Did_you_crash_on_your_first_flight%28s%29_%3F%21/m_2489952/tm.htm]the other one.[/link]

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

I started with a Cox EZ-Bee before I knew there were clubs, and I crashed it quite a few times.

Once I found out about clubs, joined one, and got an instructor, it was over a year before I crashed again.
Dennis-

carrellh

RC Fiend: I guess I don't understand your reply. Of course the instructor will not stick around forever. Once I'm good at landing, the instructor will be gone. And yes I know I'll crash on occasion. I answered no because the question asked "yes" or "no".

I expanded a little because I feel this is another one of those "I'm going to learn with no help other than writing anonymous notes on RCU and I want everyone to tell me that's a good idea" threads.

In my opinion, which is worth less than it's costing anyone to read this, learning to fly with no instructor is not the best way. Some people have no choice because no help is available. If help is available, in most cases, the learning curve will be much faster and cheaper.


I have crashed but is was not on my 'first flights'. My crashes have happened while trying to learn to land. I'm getting better though, trying to learn from my mistakes and stop repeating them.

Learning to 3D

My Feedback: (1)

My Flist solo flight while making a approach for landing, i managed to land my model onto a set of power lines! after skiding along them for a while it Fell off, not too much damage had it flying the next day! I wish i could say that was the last time i hit them however it wasn't!

frenchstan

Yes, I crashed on my first flight, and scores and scores of flights afterwards, but I was learning completely on my own. Not a good idea, but that's me. LEARN WITH AN INSTRUCTOR, or plan to spend $ and time on repairs.

Next biggest mistake, BY FAR, was and is flying in too much wind for my skill level. The wind is a killer. If you are patient enough to fly in calm air, you will be succesfull!

Third and last is choosing a flying site that's big and flat, with few obstacles.

Canardman

My Feedback: (7)

I didn't crash my first flight, It took about 15 solo's then the crunch. I thought the trees at the end of the runway were shorter than they were. The plane flew again, but kinda had a limp. Since then, I have planted a hanger-9 P-51, Kyosho Spitfire, two trainers, and a flying lawnmower. Hoping something will grow next spring.

leftnut

My Feedback: (1)

I just crashed my new SE yesterday and a 4* a couple weeks ago.
They're not the first , I imagine they won't be the last.
I don't mind when I'm taking a chance close to the deck,
It's when I hit that one damn pole that's sticking out in the middle of
nowhere with nothing around for miles that gets under my skin.

I don't hit trees anymore,they got cutted down.
Now, if they would only cut that damn pole.

Yep, almost cried like a baby when I wacthed me trainer
go into millions of pieces. I had to grieved and let go,... i guess.

DragonHeart

lol i hope ur feeding them well and giving them plenty of water....... let us know if anything good grows

hgiles

My Feedback: (4)

My first plane was a H9 80" Piper Cub. I flew it about 5 times successfully by myself. Keep in mind I did get buddy box time with an instructor and I have a sim (AFP) that I have been using for about 3 months prior. Anyway, got real comfortable with the plane -- man I loved that thing! Ultimately I tried to fly it at home in a paddock and didn't have enough room to land it and brought it in heavy and fast and tore out the landing gear. I was heartbroken, but didn't trust my skills to re-build it so I sold it. By that time I was itching for some other warbird anyhow (sour grapes).

jagnweiner

My Feedback: (1)

Prophex-

I have followed this thread and some of your other threads and can tell that you are really wanting to try to teach yourself to fly with your new trainer. All I can say is "Don't do it!" I know it may seem logistically difficult to fly with an instructor, find a way to do it for at least your first few flights.

To answer your question, yes, I crashed on my first several flights while I was trying to fly by myself after a 17 year layoff. You can read my story [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_1988037/anchors_1988037/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#1988037]here[/link]. It is just a lot more difficult than it seems. The plane gets away from you very fast. Once you lose your orientation, it's just a matter of time before you have a pile of splinters. I can tell you, it's just miserable standing there looking at your plane's wreckage.

-Scott

Prophex

I'm not planning on flying alone (anymore)
Infact, here's my story ...

For over a year now, untill about a month ago, I was thinking of going into Heli's, with no experience at all. Unfortunatly, one of my summer holiday jobs last year turned out to be to heavy for me (constantly carying 5kg bags of potato's for 8 hours with only 30 min. brake and a boss who thought he could let me do whatever he wanted) So, I quited that job (also because it turned out that the pay was much less then they first told me) and did some smaller jobs for the rest of the vacation with different company's. However, this completly messed up my plan to buy a heli. Not only did it mess up the plan, I had no money left after some small purchases to even start an RC hobby.

So, several months passed by and because of school and the lack of sufficient funds, I didn't think about RC stuff anymore. I did however still visitid RCU now and then to stay up to date with the RC stuff. Then, a few months later (november), I realised that my 18th birthday got closer (9th of december). So, ... $$$ KATCHING !!! I had a complete plan worked out again, ... and one of those things included an RC plane. Why ?, because they are much cheaper to start out with then Heli's, and they would give me a nice headstart about knowledge of kits, engines, radio-equipment, ...

So, about 2 weeks ago (on a thursday), I went down to the local hobby shop and asked if they sold the Hobbico Nexstar. "Nope, never heard of it" ... So, what would be a nice trainer then ? Next day, I came back to the store (friday) and bougth a Protech Skystar with all the stuff needed to built and fly the plane. The following weekend, I spended building the plane. already on sunday evening, I was finished and after watching many movies of RC planes, I started up the engine on my own. Ran it for 20 min and shutted it down. That weekend I was still planning on flying the plane by myself. But, since I went home on sunday evening, that wasn't an option anymore. (I was staying with my grandmother for the weekend in the country)

Back home on monday, ... fired up the engine again in my back yard for 40 minutes. the engine was now completly run in, so time to take it out for a spin. (mind, that I did practice alot on the FMS simulator) However, there wasen't much land in my neighberhoud big enough to fly the plane (62" wingspan).

Next day, my dad told me he knew a guy who had been flying RC planes for 30 years ... lol. Phoned him, and that evening he already came to my house and explained that it was prohibited in Belgium to fly a plane outside of a club. Damn, ... He told me about the club he was in, and I got the feeling he was trying to make me a dedecated member . Anway, it must have worked, caus I was planning on at least have my first flight in the club. BUT, there is a but ... He said that everyone in Belgium uses MODE 1 on the transmitter (with throttle on the right) and I had been practicing with MODE 2 for several months and my transmitter was also MODE 2 ... Not a problem, just come by my house and I'll fix your transmitter. So, that evening I spent hours training on te sim again with the new controlls. and te next day (wednesday) I went down to his house and had my transmitter changed.

The following weekend, on sunday, he took me to his club and I looked arround a bit and decided to join. That was 2 days ago. Now, I'm already planning on buying a better sim and am an official memeber of the Blue Birds. The following weekend will be pretty stressfull, caus then I'll take my first flight WITH an instructor. hope everything will go well ...

So, in just 2 weeks time, I went from deciding to buy a plane to actually flying one (or atleast I hope)

So, you see, I'm not planning on flying on my own anymore ... that's actually the whole summary of the story ... hehe



phew, that took a while to write, hope you guys like reading ...
Prophex

jagnweiner

My Feedback: (1)

Prophex-

Great!! You've made the right choice. With your sim time, you'll probably be soloing in no time. I wasn't sure, and was not in any way trying to be preachy or condescending. I just wanted to make sure you didn't make the same mistakes I did.

Have fun!
Scott